History Of The Adjustable Elastic Diaper

In 1952 this snazzy new idea was first patented, a lady by the name of Heller Max thought of this amazing way to adjust the length of the elastic area making each size fit a bigger range of people. US Patent 1672017 shows the she invented button adjustments to fit securly unto a waist band to give the item an exact fit. This new way to adjust waists with an elastic strip secured by buttons was soon picked up by most major clothing companies and today we still use this idea focused especially now on children’s apparel.

In early 2005 this now older idea became innovative when it was used in the cloth diaper industry. The company Mother’s Eve was born and used the adjustable elastic idea to pull the rise of the diaper from bigger to small thus eliminating the adjustable snaps that clutter the front of the one size diaper. Although this diaper was a wonderful idea, it closed with a large piece of Velcro that some felt was bulky and unfortunately it fell by the way side.

To find the next adjustable elastic diaper you must follow me half way around the world We will land in New Zealand where Baby Cheeks has developed, marketed and now has a patent on the adjustable leg elastic diaper. As a side note Rocky Mountain Diaper will never be sold or marketed to anyone in New Zealand or Australia in respect of their patent. They are a beautiful diaper with very cute trim like none we have ever seen.

Back in the USA, this idea is now spreading farther, In 2006 a company called Precious Dignity put in adjustable legs in its Clover Fitted Diaper, the diaper adjusts using buttons hole elastic to fine tune the leg fit. It also is the first diaper to have a replaceable leg elastic capabilities. While some might be concerned about sewn on buttons, there is no need to worry about that, Clover has hidden the elastic adjustments into a secure compartment that has no access for children and can be replaced easily. They also have a almost unheard of warranty that will out last not only the diaper but will still be active when you child goes off to college. This is a diaper worth checking out!

Sarah Van Bogart of SoftBums has been in the diaper making business for years now. She realized there was a real need for a diaper that fit all shapes. She soon started to perfecting her original SoftBums diaper and after many testers and lots of patterns she found the prefect fit! This Perfect Fit diaper uses elastic adjustments in the leg that holds tight. She is soon hoping to ramp up production and offer her diaper to retailers so more babies will be able to enjoy a “perfect fit.” To check out these great diaper click here.

In 2007 I found out I was expecting again and couldn’t wait to cloth diaper the new baby. After modifying several diapers that I had with this type of elastic casing I just decided to try a go at it and make my own. My little diaper soon became popular in my social circle and I found inspiration in our own backyard and named the diapers after the beautiful mountain range we call home. Although I wish I could say that our leg elastic was originally the one of Rocky Mountain Diapers, you can see, we are just a part of the ever expanding companies using the adjustable elastic idea of Heller Max.

44 comments:

I am NOT a fan of the OS diapers covered in snaps so I’m very excited to learn so much about the other options! (And I had no idea the “technology” went back so far – I wonder why more companies don’t incorporate it into their diapers?) Thanks for the info! 🙂

So interesting to see the different ideas for adjustable diapers! Had to google Rocky Mountain Diapers to find out more! Is Kelly’s Closet going to be carrying their diapers- they are really cute, and look like they would be an easy OS system to use!

I really like this idea. It’s way nicer looking then all those snaps on the front. And I believe that this is what the Fuzzi Bunz one-size diapers use. Which Kelly’s Closet will soon be carrying, right?

Yes, we will be carrying the new Fuzzi Bunz One Size. We had the opportunity to be one of the first retailers to have them but we decided to wait as we knew there would probably be adjustments to the design…and there was. The style that we will be getting has a thigh snap (the original didn’t) and is cut trimmer (some fabric has reduced in the middle of the diaper) so overall we will have a version that is much better fitting and doesn’t gap or snag by the thigh area.

I truly appreciate learning the “history” of things… I like that one idea from years ago could be applied to other concepts and uses!

The Rocky Mountain Diapers are very cute and a cinch to adjust! They can get very very small – so although my little guy isn’t a newborn anymore – I can almost say with confidence that this diaper would truly fit a newborn!

Kelly is one smart mama! As she has mentioned, the original FB OS needed a bit of tweaking… I’m glad to discover they have altered the design a bit to improve upon the original design. Looking forward to trying out the new one!

So cool! I would love to try out a OS diaper that doesn’t have all the snaps. My husband always has trouble getting the right snap to make the diapers fit correctly. Adjustable elastic would eliminate this…I could just set the sizes before putting them away and he’d be set to go. Can’t wait for the new OS Fuzzi Bunz too…those are my favorite diapers.

I think the idea of hidden adjustments is great! I would be concerned, though, that the buttons might become loose or pop off. I know several adjustable waist pants we own has had that problem. What is the warranty on the SoftBums or new Fuzzi Bunz?Thanks!Melissa

I had no idea that it was first invented in 1953! I really would love to buy a Clover, I’ve heard great things. I’m going to check out the others mentioned as well. My new OS Fuzzi Bunz uses the same idea – they adjust for the rise and also the waist.

so awesome 🙂 i love the idea but wonder how easy it is to adjust … since for 2 in dipes if you share them it is just unsnapping the rise :0) .. i also did not know the concept of the adjustable elastic went back so far. i want to thank that lady .. i love it in my toddlers pants 🙂

WOW! I sooo want to try this diaper. I also have a friend who has been dying to find a pattern for a one size dipe that doesn’t require plastic snaps. I forwarded her this post – maybe she’ll start making some of her own!

I love the adustable elastic for my son’s pants because he is so skinny. I didn’t realize that this was also being used in cloth diapers. I learned something new today!Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks that I have been following. You all do a great job in providing useful information! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

For my skinny guy the button elastic adjustments in pants have been a life saver. So cool to see that the technology goes back so far. And that people are figuring out other ways to use it, like in cloth diapers. and this clears up some much on the SoftBums OS diaper. Thanks for the post.

I had no idea that the adjustable elastic went back that far! I was working for a large retail company and they prided themselves in being the first to but that idea in pants…hmmm. The adjustable elastic in diapers is something I definately want to check out! I really enjoyed this article.

Cool and informative! My son has some pants that have this type of adjustment in them and I love them! I also don't like all the snaps cluttering the front of the OS diapers so this concept is super cool to me. I have two Rocky Mountain OS coming to me soon and I am so looking forward to trying them out!